No Good Deed
by elizabronte
Summary: Lyanna McGonagall-Urquart takes up a teaching position at Hogwarts at the request of Dumbledore. Could her love change the fate of the wizarding world? Slow burn piece following along with the canon events of the seven books in this alternative universe.


This piece obviously plays around with the timeline a little as Minerva does not marry Elphinstone Urquart until somewhere between 1982-85, although he proposed numerous times between the late 1950s and 1980s. In this AU, they married in 1960, Lyanna was born in 1962 and Elphinstone died in 1963.

This is a rewrite of a piece I started years ago but only posted the first chapter of.

Severus Snape/Lyanna McGonagall-Urquart (OC)

Significant input from Hermione, Harry and Minerva McGonagall.

 **Chapter One: A New Beginning**

The dark shadows followed her as she walked through the corridors. The dim candlelight illuminated her pathway, guiding her across the moving staircases. As she passed through each corridor, the candlelights flickered on to greet her, defusing once her footsteps became simple echoes. The castle knew her. It knew who she was.

What time was it? Midnight at least.

The students were already tucked safely in their beds, having spent that evening at the welcoming feast. The portraits had already retired for the night, their occupants deep in slumber. The only noise to break up the silence was their gentle snores and the footsteps of Hogwart's newest professor.

As she reached her destination, her eyes fell on the stone gargoyle that stood guard at the Headmaster's Office. "Sherbet Lemon" she declared, watching as the gargoyle turned to reveal the spiral staircase that wrapped it's way up to the office. Hesitating for a moment, she placed one foot in front of the other. It had been five years since she had last walked those steps, they had a familiarity which had haunted her dreams ever since her departure.

There was no need for her to knock on the door, the wards had been enhanced to ensure the Headmaster knew the identity of anyone who ventured near his personal chambers and office. Stepping into the room, it took her eyes only a moment to seek out the hunched figure of her godfather, as he absentmindedly stared into the abyss of his marble pensieve. The days were catching up with him, his age more visible in his posture and demeanour than Lyanna had expected. For the first time, Lyanna became acutely aware of Albus Dumbledore's morality. He would not live forever. She could sense a change, a storm brewing just beyond the horizon.

When the headmaster turned to acknowledge his companion, he was taken aback by the resemblance to her mother; it was as though he was looking through his pensieve, seeing the once youthful reflection of Minerva McGonagall staring back at him. Except this was no reflection. The only way he could tell that he had not fallen into his pensieve was by the sight of the woman's hazel eyes - a reminder that she was equally as much her father's daughter.

Lyanna stepped further into the room, her eyes scanning the office that looked almost untouched from her last visit five years prior. Books cluttered the shelves in any which manner, half heartedly sorted by genre, while potion vials and quills remained abandoned wherever Albus has absentmindedly discarded them. "Does your mother know that you've arrived?" Albus inquired, breaking them both out of their daydreaming, and as he sat himself down at his desk. "Not as of yet, and I'd like to keep it that way," Lyanna revealed, waiting for the man to nod in acknowledgement before she sat herself down across from him.

At the sound of her voice, the portraits awoke from their ageless slumber, sitting up straight at the appearance of their unexpected guest. "I plan on visiting her before breakfast," Lyanna explained, glancing at the curious portraits out of the corner of her eyes. That was if none of the portraits beat her to it. She had to speak to her mother as soon as she woke up, before too many people became aware of her presence in the castle. After all, she could count on one hand how many of the teaching staff were aware of her existence.

"That would be advisable," Albus agreed, knowing that as long as Minerva wasn't made aware of the real reason for Lyanna's employment. "I've set aside the quarters nearest your mother's beside the Gryffindor Tower, you should find your things already there," he explained, taking a moment to examine the changed features of his goddaughter. She was no longer the little girl with braids who wore a red ribbon in her hair. Lyanna had lived through one war, experienced loss on such a scale that it had once almost driven her away from the light. She had been - and always would be - a target for the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. Lyanna was the daughter of Minerva McGonagall, goddaughter of Albus Dumbledore and a high flyer at the Ministry of Magic. Of course, she had worked under her father's name, only now reclaiming her double barrelled name.

She had hid the scars of her past under crimson lipstick and materialism - but even he could see the scars of time in her eyes.

"Thank you. I'm rather tired so I'll be turning in for the night," Lyanna stood from her seat, she turned on her heel as she headed towards the door, stopping as her hand rested on the gold handle and she recalled the reason for her visit. "We have agreed not to tell my mother that I'm helping you, correct?" She asked, knowing that her mother would have no qualms about sending her away if she knew she was here to assist her godfather.

Albus have a sharp nod in agreement, watching the woman shift from foot to foot. Minerva would have his head on a spit if she thought for even a second that he was putting her daughter in danger, yet it was Lyanna who had insisted that she help. If there was one thing Albus Dumbledore was sure about, it was that Lyanna was equally as headstrong and stubborn as her mother.

"Goodnight, Uncle Albus," Lyanna bid her farewell, her lips turning up in a glimmer of a smile as the door shut behind her.

Minerva McGonagall would have his head for this.

Her mother had always been an early riser. Lyanna awoke at dawn, giving herself time to adjust to her new surroundings as she slowly ventured through her new living quarters. It had an air of similarity that made Lyanna think of the library and drawing room of McGonagall Manor. Emerald green, with gold entwined throughout, catching the morning sunlight that swept in through the curtains. Albus had wanted to make her feel at home again.

When the clock struck half-seven, she set off from her chambers. Even now, she could find her mother's quarters blindfolded. Heading towards the Gryffindor tower, she remained in the shadows, trying to stay out of sight to the few students who were milling around the hallways. Deciding against barging into the room, for fear of giving her mother a heart attack, Lyanna knocked against the heavy oak door.

Minerva's brow frowned in confusion as a knock echoed through her living room. She rarely received visitors at this time in the morning, only the occasional young Gryffindor and even then none of her cubs would have dared ventured to her private chambers in search of her. If it had been Albus then she was positive he would have walked straight in.

"Come in" Minerva called, summoning her tartan dressing robe and draping it over her shoulders as watched the door open. For all the firewhiskey in the world, she wouldn't have been able to guess who was about to step through the door. "Anna" She breathed, taking in the appearance of her only child.

Her daughter always had a celtic soul; her raven hair and dark eyes bared a striking similarity to the portrait of Morgan Le Fay that had once hung on the walls of her family's manor. A mystical being of a bygone era. The sentiment was even more true today.. Her father's medallion, a emerald stone enraptured by a golden serpent, rested upon a chain against her neck.

Stepping forward, she closed the distance between herself and her child, taking the younger woman into her arms as she held her to her chest. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" She cried, still taken aback that her daughter was truly standing in front of her. Her duties at Hogwarts often kept them apart, and she didn't get to sneak away from the castle to see Lyanna nearly as much as she would have liked - something that had become increasingly difficult with her daughter's latest promotion. "Albus sent me an owl only yesterday; apparently the man he had lined up to take over the History of Magic position has suddenly taken sick, so he asked me if I could take up the post." Lyanna explained, resting her head down against her mother's shoulder as she embraced the familiar smell of Earl Grey tea, laced with ginger nut biscuits.

"But the Ministry?" Minerva protested, confusion clear on her face, as she held her child at arms length. Her daughter had showed little desire for becoming a professor, and once force from her position as an auror, she had thrown herself into being a member of the Wizengamot. "They can do without me for a while" Lyanna assured her, placing her hands on her mother's shoulder. Her eyes focused on her mother as she took in the woman's appearance; much like her godfather, the woman in front of her had started to age, in a way that caught even Katharine off guard. She was used to seeing her mother at the end of a chaotic term, when she was sleep deprived and ill tempered - yet now, at the start of a new school year, she could almost feel the wave of optimism coming off her mother.

Lynna prayed she could hold onto that for a little while longer.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the time. "We should be heading down to breakfast - why don't you get ready and I'll wait here for you?" Lyanna suggested, letting her mother kiss her cheek before the elder woman headed back to her bedroom to prepare herself for her first teaching day of the school year.

In the silence that followed, Lyanna allowed herself a moment to take in her surroundings. She wondered how many of her mother's students and colleagues got to see this side of her; the woman, not the legend.

Lyanna was positive that her mother's chamber held more tartan than all of Balmoral Castle; her pride of her scottish heritage always clear for all to see. As she walked towards the grandfather clock in the corner of the room, she moved her hand in front of the portrait of Godric Gryffindor, pulling back the glamour that disguised the true picture underneath. It was of The Order on the night of Lily and James' wedding; how young and naive they had all been. Her eighteen year old reflection looked back at her without a care in the world; unaware of the horror that would unfold itself in all their lives in a painfully short amount of time. Sirius stood to her right, his arm tangled around her waist as she stood beside Alice Longbottom, with Frank standing behind them both. All three of them were lost to her now; she had tried to visit Alice and Frank at the beginning, but the mediwitches had forbidden her any access to either of them. Sirius...was another case entirely; that was a sadder story, one she couldn't bring her heart to dwell on.

Finally, her vision settled on the centre of the photo, where a beaming Lily Evans stood in the arms of her newly proclaimed husband, her lipstick smudged as she giggled to herself, pearly white teeth visible as she clutched onto her bouquet of white roses and lilies. She had never seen either of them so happy, in fact, such a look of joy would not be seen on any of their faces until Harry's birth the following year.

That was another life; before their joy and happiness was sucked from their soul, their youth robbed from them as darkness found its way into their heart and ripped from their hearts the ones they loved most. As she heard her mother's footsteps growing louder, she repaired the glamour on the portrait and dried her eyes.

"Let's get going," Minerva called, holding the door open for her daughter. This year was about to get even more interesting.

As she entered the Great Hall, Lyann walked with a purpose, as though Dumbledore himself had placed a cross against her shoulders. Her ivory dress was covered by a cloak of midnight green, the outline of a golden serpent acted as a clasp, folding the two sides of the fabric together. Dumbledore inhaled audibly as he watched the mother and daughter make their way towards the dining table.

"Headmaster, I had no idea we were expecting a new professor" Severus muttered, his eyes fixed on the mysterious woman seat herself beside Minerva on the other side of the Headmaster. He made it his business to know every going on throughout the school; he couldn't afford to be blindsided by anything, especially not this year, not with the Potter boy arriving. "Ah, Severus, I am just about to introduce her" Dumbledore announced, taking that moment to stand from his seat, as Minerva called for the attention of their students by clicking her wand against the rim of her glass. Severus' eyes followed the mysterious woman through the Hall and to her seat.

"Some of you may have noticed that we have a last minute appointment to our faculty - Miss Lyanna McGonagall-Urquart has joined us as our newest History of Magic Professor" Albus began, turning to look at his young protege, who stood from her seat to make her presence known to those sitting at the four long wooden tables at the centre of the extravagant Great Hall. There was something about the room, which Lyann couldn't place her finger on, that made her at once feel at ease with herself. Her entire childhood had been spent within the walls of the castle, and the Great Hall housed some of the happiest memories of her life.

A small round of polite applause filled the room, before Lyanna nodded her head gracefully and sat herself back down. Turning to her mother, she noticed the small bundle of white envelopes that appeared in front of them, tied with a piece of brown string. "I have to hand out these timetables for the Gryffindors - I'll be back in a few minutes." Minerva explained, collecting the bundle of envelopes and levitating them beside her as she stood from her seat.

As her mother walked down the steps that overlooked the four house tables of the Great Hall, Lyanna's eyes instantly searched for one face in particular. His mother had been as close as a sister, his father had been one of her dearest friends; even without the lightning bolt scar, she could recognise him from a mile away.

"Harry," She breathed, her eyes remaining fixed on the boy as he spoke to a redhead boy she was confident was a Weasley. From his space two seats down, Severus Snape followed the woman's gaze. He didn't appreciate not being kept in the loop, and he would make it his mission to find out as much as he could about Lyanna. Most important of all, what was her connection to Harry Potter and why was she here now?


End file.
